TEHRAN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Chief Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran is intending to install a new generation of centrifuges at its new nuclear enrichment site, the local satellite Press TV reported on Monday.

    In an interview with the channel on Sunday, Salehi introduced Tehran's plans for the newly disclosed nuclear fuel enrichment site situated near the northwestern holy city of Qom, the report said.

    Salehi expressed hope that his organization would be able to install a new generation of centrifuges in the new site, without elaborating the specifications and types of the new generation of centrifuges.

    "During the past few months, we have also focused most of our efforts on developing new high-efficiency machinery that can be manufactured at home without the use of any imported parts. We hope to install the new centrifuges at the site," Salehi said.

    Describing Iran's "peaceful" nuclear work as a necessity, he said it is a "launch pad" for future progress in the field of energy production, and that "constructing nuclear plants is the first step towards building fusion plants which will emerge in the future."

    "If we do not enter the domain today we will not be able to take a leap and cross over to the field of fusion plants, which will be the technology in the next 40 to 50 years. We have to reach that stage gradually," he was quoted by Press TV as saying.

    Last month, Iran confirmed that it is building a new nuclear fuel enrichment plant near the religious city of Qom.

    Leaders of the United States, France and Britain have condemned Iran's alleged deception to the international community involving covert activities in the new underground nuclear site.